Reference
Books

The following publications is just a representation
of the dozens of books that are available.

The problem with finding good books is that they
can commonly list esoteric items that are
either one-off Studio Glass, museum pieces,
or exceedingly rare, often making the material
a little pointless for the average collector.
The following books are therefore far more
representative of what the amateur
collector would really want
to read and study!

Price Guides
Many of the Miller's and Dorling Kindersley
Guides shown here include prices
on objects and originate
from actual selling prices at auctions.
However, it is inadvisable to use
these strictly; prices and trends
fluctuate from one year to another
and prices on eBay can
be significantly lower.

Scotland's Glass: 400 Years of Glassmaking

Chance Expressions

The History of Domestic Glassware from
Chance Brothers - see
ChanceGlass.net

Miller's Guides

Amongst the many Miller's titles, the
following are
very popular and
very useful pocket
guides. As with
all guides, it
is important to
treat the prices
quoted with caution:
these are obtained
from actual sales
through auction
houses, but are
not necessarily
representative
to items sold,
for example, on
eBay.

Glass Fact File A-Z

Ivo Haanstra
Comprehensive encyclopedic
pocket guide
of virtually
every glass
maker known!
Many glass
terms, signatures
and labels
are also covered.
Although understandably
brief with
any description,
this is an
essential
book for any aspiring
'glassies'
armoury.

For specific periods, the following
slim books offer some excellent,
though concise, reference.
Included are hints, tips for
buying, labels and marks and a glossary
of terms.

Popular Glass of the 19th
& 20th Cent.

Raymond Notley
Collectors of
antique
glass
will
find
this
book
covers a wide
range
of items.

Glass of the '20s and '30s

Frankie Liebe
For Art Deco glass
this
slim
pocket
guide covers
popular
glass
in this
period.

Glass of the '50s
and '60s

Nigel Benson
An excellent concise
book detailing
common glass
covering
this specific
period.

Glass: Antiques Checklist

Mark West
Does tend to cover the
higher-end of
glass collecting,
but includes a
lot of information
that equally pertains
to all aspects
of antique glass.
The identification
guide is one important
feature.

DK Collectables Price Guide

Judith Miller
Covers all collecting areas,
but does include
a large section
on glass alone.

Note: colour photos
in this Dorling Kingersley
version make it a
more attractive
proposition than the Miller's
version (below)

Miller's Collectables Price
Guide

Madeleine Marsh
Similar to the above,
but does
include many
black & white
photos, making
it less desirable.

Miller's Glass Buyer's Guide

Jeanette
Hayhurst
Covers each topic and type
of glass collecting
so is easy to find the
specific area you require.
Naturally, does not cover
each topic in great depth,
but the items listed are
relevant collectables.
Some topics are probably
a little neglected and
a pity many
of photos are black
& white...

20th Century Factory Glass

Lesley Jackson
Coffee table style book, but
contains a quite
comprehensive study
of the major glassmakers,
with splendid photographs
of more commonly found
pieces. All major European
and US makers can be
found here with photographed
examples and histories.

Even covers less-known makers like Chance and
makers of glassware with
household names like
Corning, Ravenhead, Pyrex
and Anchor Hocking (US).
Essential.

20th Century Glass

Judith Miller
Not to be confused with
the above title,
but as
resourceful with
a large number
of quality
photographs.
Covers the more
popular makers
with a large
section detailing contemporary
makers, such as
Dale
Chihuly.

Sotheby's Concise Encyclopedia

Edited by David
Battie,
Simon Cottle
Crams a lot of information
into a fair
sized book.
Deals with
the history
and origins
of glass from
around the
world, dating
back to when
glass was first produced
in pre-Roman times.

Specific Collecting Areas

Bagley Glass

Angela
Bowey, Derek & Betty
Parsons
Dedicated to this prolific English maker. Includes
an excellent potted history of the company and very
detailed information on the entire(?) range of glass
production, An invaluable source of information on
pattern names, numbering and a good cross-referenced
index by type and name. The only down-side is the presentation
and layout that does let the book down slightly and as such is rather
pricey.

Carnival Glass: The
Magic & The Mystery

Glen & Stephen
Thistlewood
Authors of several excellent volumes detailing the
various aspects of this massive subject.

Animals in Glass: A Murano
Bestiary

Edited by Marina
Barovier & Attila Dorigato
Rather esoteric, but this book does give a nice historical spread
from the Murano artisans and the techniques used – often this can be
a pointer when evaluating other glass items. But while you'll probably
not find anything from here at a car-boot sale: you
never know...!

One problem with this book is the
price. For a softback you should find
this considerably cheaper on eBay.

Glass Animals & Figurines

Debbie
& Randy Coe
To be purchased — advise
to follow.

Italian Glass : Murano–Milan,
1930-1970

Helmut
Ricke & Eva Schmitt
Shows an incredible range of top-end Italian glass – interesting, though
not necessarily achievable – but does demonstrate the various techniques
and processes used to create particular effects. Also includes an interesting
section on Italian glass making history with photographic appendices on signatures
and techniques.